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Brief Overview
The unity created within Alternative Breaks @ UCSD is incredible!
Mission Statement: Alternative Breaks are national or international service learning trips that use education of social justice issues combined with quality direct service to have a lasting impact on students and the communities they work in.
Vision: To create globally conscious active citizens who commit to lifelong service.
Alternative Breaks@UCSD (AB@UCSD) is a non-profit student organization at UC San Diego. Founded by Chapin Cole (UCSD ’06) & Melissa Higgins (UCSD ’06), AB@UCSD aims to cultivate socially active and globally conscious leaders. Alternative Breaks are national or international service learning, alcohol and drug free trips that incorporate direct service, education, diversity, reflection, issues of social justice, and reorientation to have a LIFELONG impact on participants. Currently, there are three co-coordinators: Ashley Gee, Earth Hasassri, & Aaron Speer.
We are a proud Advantage Level member of Break Away.
All Alternative Breaks through AB@UCSD incorporate 8 Quality Components of an Alternative Break that were adopted by Break Away, the national non-profit organization that trains leaders to organize Alternative Break programs nationwide. The 8 Components are listed as:
1. Strong Direct Service
2. Orientation
3. Education
4. Training
5. Reflection
6. Reorientation
7. Diversity
8. Alcohol & Other Drug Free
AB@UCSD is open to all students (undergraduate, graduate, alumni and staff/community advisers) and acts as a facilitator for all Alternative Breaks on campus. Meetings will be held with principal members of each Alternative Break trip to discuss and train on such issues occurring pre-trip, on-trip, and post-trip. Logistics, site logistics, pre-trip and post-trip cultural education, and on-trip scenarios amongst others will be discussed. 12 participants per trip.
Possible social issues/projects you will work with through AB@UCSD:
- Caring for infants & children
- Teaching children
- Teaching English
- Assisting teachers
- Observing and assisting local health professionals
- Working with people affected by HIV/AIDS
- Caring for the elderly
- Caring for people with disabilities
- Assisting teachers of Special Education
- Working toward women’s empowerment
- Sharing your professional skills/experience
- Environmental sustainability and conservation
- Hurricane relief
- Education on sex/drug trafficking
- Native American
